Nailing / drilling into adobe and brick walls

My house has some interior walls that are made of brick and others of adobe. Both types of wall are surfaced with a thin layer of cement, followed by stucco that is painted. The cement is probably 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. If I try to put a nail into one of these walls (even a cement nail), I create a much larger hole than required. Also, if you hang something on the nail, the wall around the nail erodes. I bought my cement nails in Mexico (where the house is). Now, I'm back in the U.S. I need some advice on how to drill or nail into these walls without having to patch and repaint the wall around each hole. I am returning to Mexico in a week and I would like to bring the right tools for doing this work. :confused: